Resolving issues with your property manager

Our Experts Answer:

If you are all signatories to the tenancy agreement you will need the agreement of the landlord, as well as the remaining tenants, to take yourself off the tenancy agreement. For the protection of everyone, that variation agreement should be in writing (either exchange of letters, or some other written record).

As well as the tenancy agreement, there is the bond to consider. If the bond is lodged in all your names, it will be tidier if you agree to remove your claim to it (perhaps the other flatmates will refund your contribution). To remove your claim to the bond ownership you can all sign a Change of Tenant form (downloadable from Tenancy Services' web site). It's important that you do so, in order to avoid problems with releasing the bond at end of tenancy.

Regarding the oven door handle, it sounds like the oven serviceman may have a breakdown in communication with the property manager (or vice versa). Some parts are hard to obtain, especially with older appliances. It may be that the ordered part has to be obtained from overseas. I suggest you talk the issues through with the property manager and try to get them resolved.

If you still don't think you're getting a satisfactory response, you can issue the property manager with a 14-day Notice to Remedy. If that doesn't get a result, you may bring a claim against the property manager in the Tenancy Tribunal requiring the landlord to repair the oven.

With all the associated delays, it's better to try to resolve it all by calling your property manager first and talking it through.

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